Thursday, May 31, 2012

Two Oriental Coffee Shops Being Raved in the Metro

  Japanese Inspired Cafes:  Akiba Cafe  and Cafe Zenses

Akiba Cafe, SM Megamall
I asked my 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter about how well they know the Japanese word "akiba."  Danie my daughter (shortened from Danielle, she made her own nickname) said that it might mean something like "otaku."  Otaku on one hand means nerd or weird or strange, according to them.  I don't actually question them on their credibility when comes to anime and manga or stuff like those, but hehe I still considered Wikipedia.   Then I found out that Akiba is shortened from Akiba-kei, apparently is a street word of "Akihabara style" of men who seemed to be rather odd with their time being spent much of "fantasy things"  anime, manga, idols and computer games.  Thne I remembered the Meidolls, another cafe of that sort with staff garbed in ludicrous anime costumes.

So it just came to me, Akiba, the cafe in busy MegaMall is not weird at all.   If it is to some, then odd can be good.   The open-spaced cafe is an eye-catcher to passers by.   It had me though.   You won't only be drawn to the strong aroma of the coffee wafting around it's area, but the zen-like feel of it with the glass showcase inviting you with its delightful sweets to partner their coffee and tea concoctions which I found quite unusual.   And let me reiterate, can be quite good!
Like for instance the slice of cheesecake on top, it's Green Tea Cheesecake.  If you happen to love or like teas and green tea in particular, you will definitely love this.   It's a cheesecake alright, except it has a nutty, earthy and the slightly bitter after-taste with a hint of floral.   Not too sweet which I like but creamy and lightly cheesy.   So the question is, did Mom-gastronomer and Dad-gastronomomer liked it?  And the answer is:  We LOVE it!
For hot coffee, we were advised to have Nutty Macadamia Kohi.  So I think that was what we ordered.  I wasn't able taste the frothy top, but the mid part of the cup only, so I guess I didn't experience the sesame seeds on his coffee.


I was on a predicament actually when it was my turn to choose a drink.   I know their triffle teas are being raved for, but I mis-looked on it and ordered instead Chiru, yogurt Chiru.  Perhaps we need to go back so we can check on that.

I found Choco-mint Yogurt Chiru interesting but a bit odd really now.   So I got a cold Japanese Choco Yogurt Chiru.   A perfect health-giving bacilli rich drink that's chocolatey.   Careful sipping too much and don't get too excited like me, or you'll end up getting brain-freezed.   So it's a mix of yogurt, chocolate, cream and love!







Contact  Number:  0947 344 1025
Email    akibacafe@yahoo.com
website    http://www.theakibacafe.com

  
Cafe Zenses, SM City  Bicutan


Finally,  another one out of the bin.  My friend and I met at SM Bicutan to exchange stories and have our bonding moment.  So last December, we met at Cafe Zenses.   I love SM Malls being WiFI and all but mostly how they cater to not only franchised food estabs but to indigenous non-franchised foodie fares, like Cafe Zenses.   Actually their restaurant may have a little of the Zen-feel inside, but I guess it's in the food.   Unlike Akiba Cafe, which only have sweet pairings, Cafe Zenses have sandwiches, pasta and a lot more, of course we can't put aside the fact that coffee's are a must on a cafe.

It was a rainy day that time when we met, I came first and ordered the lavander-infused coffee.  I was asked if I want it to be decaf.   And there it was my hot Decaf Lavander Cappucinno, The picture of it was the one on the top most part of this blog.   This one however is what my friend Julie had, Cappuccino.  
  
Chicken al Pesto Pasta, may I say is one of the best Pesto pasta I've tried, not even Bravo can beat it.   I like the flat pasta and lots of gooey greens on it.   The grilled chicken which was tender and right on the salt complemented  well with the whole dish..   The sauce was rather oily but, fret not let;s just hope it's EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), which I thinks so.   Please I dare not say the toast was also good, or was it garlic bread.   The pasta serving was good enough for two.

















Green Tea and Chocolate Ganache.   I guess by now you might say that I also love green tea.   Well I also love unfamiliar sights of pastries or food for that matter.   Green tea happens to be the best-selling tea in Japan and China.   Not only for the know remedies and relaxation effects it brings out, you also have to have an acquired taste to foods that have it.   The slice however is a butter-cake flavored with green tea with a caramel crunch topper over a velvety layer of chocolate ganache.   The butter cream icing as well is flavored with matcha green tea.   Don;t you want to bite into that layers of green tea cakes and chocolate ganache?   It's heavenly, let me tell you, earthy-heavenly!




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Country's First Green Hotel


 
COCOON…A warm nesting place that is - 
Modern yet Classic
                              Tranquil yet steps from vibrant entertainment
       Environmentally Responsible, yet Luxuriously Carefree
     Global yet truly Filipino

Cocoon opens doors to pioneering guests who share their  commitment for environmentally sustainable luxury.

With each stay and use of the deluxe amenities at Cocoon, guests are able to take part in 
an initiative   to be environmentally responsible and make  a  positive contribution to the community.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Solve Party Capers with Party Pop Up

           How many Jollibees, McDonald's or even Shakey's birthday bashes have you been to?
I have four kids,  we live in a community where kids always celebrate birthdays with a party,  friends and relatives invites, school parties, add them all up and multiply by four,  you do the  Math!
But how many of them have stood up?  How about events that marked on their minds and heart?  Only a few!
           Let's now talk about their own birthdays.   I'm sure they still dream of something that's exciting, more fun, colorful, festive  and something where you (the parents) and them having a great time.
Having and planning a special birthday party for our kids can be tricky, specially  when they’re old enough to have specific interests and search for something to keep them busy, then you’ve got to get creative.
           But modern moms who wish the same thing could hardly get it all through, of course not for all.   If you're one of the parents who aren't creative nor resourceful enough to manage one.  This could be a treat for you.

Last Saturday, we were at a party, it's not an ordinary party, in fact it's no ones birthday, but it was a blast.   It was the launch of Party Pop Up.   Bloggers from Nuffnang and Clickthecity.com along with select print media and other potential clients have experienced firsthand the unique way of celebrating a birthday with Party Pop Up. The launch showcased different themes such as Underwater, Jungle, Luau, and Shabby Chic/Tea Party.

 THE UNDER WATER THEME

Saturday, May 26, 2012

A Broken Vow... at Volcanic Grill

I received an invitation a couple of weeks ago from a dear friend with a message something like "we are inviting you for an Acoustic Night at Volcanic Grill."   I  had seconds thoughts on attending, to be totally honest.   For one, it is a grill house.  We all know for a fact an experience could be somewhat devastating to go on a date at a grill house, so I did expect it to be smoky, crowded and noisy.  Also, I had vowed to myself to keep away from meat especially grilled, charred, worst burnt.
But receiving an invitation   from a person I know to have a classy tastes on dining, I gave in and have contracted a spark of interest.   Although the acoustic term fancied me, I never thought I would "eat my word," literally speaking.

Friday, May 25, 2012

A Summer Lovin' at Burot Beach
















If you would dream of a perfect summer day somewhere, where and how would it be?
Here is mine, oh and let these pictures tell the story.
Perfectly painted azure sky with billowy white clouds.

A splatter of greens here and there.   Beckoning white clean sand.   A paradise hidden, you could stay naked lying on the sand. 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Crispy Noodles with Beef and Oyster Sauce

Walking Along  "Pansit" Memory Lane
I grew up eating pansit (Stir-fried) noodles, during birthdays and most of the family occasions.   My mom cooked fantastic pansit,  There's  Pansit  Canton, Pansit Bihon and Sotanghon.   All bring comfort and according to elders bring long-life to a celebrant who has it as "handa" (part of the menu for the party).  How admirable it was to see huge woks containing loads of it being cooked off outside every  house during fiestas.   One that I can call Happy Food!  With colors of green, orange, yellow and  pink scattered around not only for the health it brought but for the eye-candy as it always is.
Now...

Food Revolution Conquered the Philippines

Have you ever been part of something big?  Something amazing you would want to shout it out and have people stopping and listening.   If you did, would you dare tell us about it?   If you haven't,  and would want to do, what would it be about?   I hope it's something that could spark a change for the better and not the worse.  
Since I'm a food blogger, I would definitely shout out something about my interest in food, good and health-giving food that is, and I guess you can call it passion.
I eat, therefore I cook.   I love my kids, thus I cook for them, ensuring a beneficial choice of yummy but packed in nature-providing health goodness.
 So I say and shout, with my right fist high,  I'm with Jamie Oliver on his movement to empower everyone with the awareness about eating healthy and his fight against obesity and  diet-related diseases. 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

What's Real, Personal and All That Style?


Once again  Style RPA  have managed to put all together  fashion, arts and culture, music,  dining, technology and influential people all in one roof.   Partnering with Destiny Cable this time they've launch something new in the fashion scene, StyleRPA TV!

StyleRPA TV is your newest hotspot for everything real, personal, and all that style. After making a splash in today’s most popular medium of the internet, your latest lifestyle news from online lifestyle magazine StyleRPA.com is now not only your laptop screens, but on your televisions as well.

StyleRPA TV treats audiences to updates on the most stylish happenings in fashion, beauty, food, design, arts and culture, motoring and gadgets, and design. Up and coming personalities from these fields, who embody style in their individual ways also regularly grace the show for an up close look on themselves and their work.

StyleRPA, both the television show and the online lifestyle magazine, are the handiwork of RPA & Communicate president Philip Abadicio, who has been successful in public relations, events management, marketing, and publication for nearly two decades. Philip started out as a young entrepreneur and, knowing the importance of communicating the right information to the right people, eventually moved on to expanding businesses through public relations.  At first operating in Philip’s parents’ house in Quezon City until its first paying client and the business’ eventual expansion, RPA & Communicate has since served many clients such as the Araneta Group of Companies, Levi Strauss Philippines, Nickelodeon, Yahoo and Warner Music Philippines. Philip now ventures into making brands and people visible through StyleRPA.com and StyleRPA TV.

Under Philip’s expert hand, StyleRPA TV becomes a great platform for artists of different kinds, products, and events to make themselves visible and to reach out to a young and engaged audience. The show is hosted by Amanda Elvina, Ria Casco, and Nicole Reyes, who are also involved with work with StyleRPA.com. Amanda and Ria, Communication Arts graduates and Nicole, an English Literature graduate, engage the viewers in discussions on lifestyle news and with the show’s guests.

StyleRPA TV’s segments deal with the most interesting happenings in lifestyle every week, and feature great new finds like restaurants, artists and musicians, and events. The show has its eyes peeled and arms wide open for exciting new personalities, always a step ahead of all things innovative.

StyleRPA TV airs on GNN Channel 8 on Destiny Cable and on free cable nationwide on Saturdays, 7 - 8 p.m., and replays on Sundays, 8 - 9 a.m.
The night was fun and bloggers were treated to a night of  good food, cocktails, acoustic  performances,  games  and raffles.  The prices by the way, were sponsored by  clients, such as Flawless, Fruit Garden Luxury Jams,  XO 46 Filipino Bistro,  and FAME Hair & Styling Salon by Marites Allen




MediCard's 25 Years of Building a Healthy Nation


 Dr.  Nicanor D. Montoya believed that if a person could just put away this small sum of money daily, he could already pay for his hospitalization.  From this basic philosophy, MediCard (Philippines) Inc.  started it's humble beginnings.  With a mission to provide quality comprehensive healthcare services to many Filipinos, at a cost we could afford.
 Twenty-five years of milestones was celebrated last May 15, 2012 at the Rizal Ballroom of Shangri La, Makati City.   With a theme "Building a Healthy Nation,"  the night was a tribute to the first HMO in the country, its people, and the companies who benefited and have partnered with them.   To set the night off was a buffet of good food, Shangri La could offer.


Bloggers Jo Arce ( Wallflower of the Jeepney) and Camille Salazar (No Malice in Wonderland)
 

 After the sumptuous spread of noshes, the program began.    

To symbolize its rebirth after 25 years of being a pioneering HMO in the Philippines, Medicard unveiled a refreshed corporate logo as part of a corporate strategy that stresses the company's brand promise of giving the best healthcare available.
"Our new branding strategy is aimed at demonstrating how MediCard is uniquely different as an HMO run and founded doctors," said MediCard president Dr. Nicky Montoya.."
The re-branding exercise coincided with MediCard's 25th year of bringing better value to costumers. Throughout the history, MediCard has continuously adapted to the changing times. Thus, the company embarked on refreshing its brand identity to remain relevant and up-to-date in a market environment that is becoming increasingly more knowledgeable and therefore more critical about the image that organizations are portraying.
With consumers having higher expectations than ever and a lower tolerance for anything that is below par, MediCard aims to instill peace of mind and fulfillment, which are characteristics represented in the logo by the purple hue. Blue, which has been MediCard's official color, represents trust, reliability, and calmness. The four Rx symbols that rotate clockwise from a single icon to convey the message to MediCard clients that they can avail of affordable medical services round the clock through its partner doctors and medical institutions. The new logo also uses typefaces that make the brand look modern and refreshing.
The new logo also embodies MediCard's corporate culture. "We place an extremely strong emphasis on doing business the right way for both our customers and our employees. That means caring for them and treating them more as partners, being responsive, and anticipating their needs", Dr. Montoya said.
 
 Artists from ABC 5 gave everyone a remarkable entertainment.   It's also great  to see Ryan Agoncilo and Iya Villana host the night.  
Here is the list of the awardees for every ones resource.
AWARDEES
1
Phil. Daily Inquirer
2
Toyota Motor Philippines
3
Bathala Marketing Industries Inc
4
Scopro Optical Co. Inc
5
Citibank N.A.
6
Trends & Technologies Inc
7
IBM Phils Inc
8
Phil. Star Daily Inc
9
Uptown Industrial Sales Inc
10
Alcatel Lucent Phils
11
Limtong Group of Companies
12
Manila International Freight Forwarders, Inc.
13
Megaworld Corporation
14
Healthy Options Inc
15
Republic Cement Corp (Bulacan Plant)
16
Pearl Energy Philippines Operating Inc (formerly Covanta)
17
New Trends International Corp
18
Euro Pacific Resorts Inc
19
Concrete Master Inc
20
Arcya Glass Corp
21
Landbank of the Philippines
22
GMA 7
23
Banker’s Association of the Philippines
24
Citilink
25
Manila Pavilion


Special Award
MANILA HOTEL – FIRST CLIENT